This recipe is adapted from Magi Maehashi’s second cookbook Delicious Tonight. Have you heard of her? Magi is a Japanese-Australian author and creator of the extremely popular RecipeTin Eats food blog. Most of her recipes are quick and accessible and her latest cookbook reached the status of ‘New York Times Best-selling Author.’

This recipe hails from the Normandy region of France, known for its production of apples, cheeses (Camembert), and Calvados apple brandy. France is globally ranked 10th in apple production, so we can enjoy many apple recipes from this area! And let’s not forget that Normandy also holds a special place in ours hearts: Rouen is where Julia Child had her first French meal of Sole Meunière, which was a turning point in her life!

In this recipe, rustic pork chops combine beautifully with a fruity, creamy sauce accented with Dijon mustard and a hint of rosemary. If you can’t find Calvados brandy, any another type of brandy will do. Use a dry, hard apple cider and avoid the overly-sweet apple juice found in supermarkets. Hard apple cider contains alcohol; if you wish to substitute, use unsweetened apple juice. As Nagi says about her recipe, “You’ll be giving it an enthusiastic très bon, I promise!”

(Please refer to my previous post titled Chicken with Calvados, Cider and Apples).